Modified road traffic signs in the South African linguistic landscape
Abstract
Drawing on the linguistic landscape material of modified road traffic signs in different areas of South
Africa, the article illustrates how modified traffic road signs continue to have situated contextual
meanings regardless of altered physical placement or content. Drawing on semiotic repurposing this
article argues for an extended definition of situated semiotics that takes into account repurposed
signs. A fluid interpretation of ‘situatedness’ will broaden the scope of what is perceived as situated
semiotics and discourage the use of delinquent categories such as ‘transgressive’ semiotics for ‘out
of place’ semiotics.